Calibrachoa plant named ‘01C-J-4’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘01C-J-4’, characterized by its semi-prostrate, low mounding and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; golden yellow-colored flowers with red-colored speckling and rust-colored venation; and good weather tolerance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Calibrachoa sp. cultivar 01C-J-4.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘01C-J-4’.

The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi-ken, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early-flowering Calibrachoa cultivars that have stronger growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in the Autumn of 2000, in Tochigi-ken, Japan, of the Calibrachoa cultivar Sunbelki, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,558, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Calibrachoa selection identified as code number 99-2-3, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi-ken, Japan, on Jun. 10, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its strong plant growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Tochigi-ken, Japan, since Aug. 10, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar 01C-J-4 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘01C-J-4’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘01C-J-4’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa:

-   -   1. Semi-prostrate, low mounding and outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Golden yellow-colored flowers with red-colored speckling and         rust-colored venation.     -   5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to wind, rain, and low and         high temperatures.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa are most similar to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sunbelki. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi-ken, Japan, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Sunbelki in the flowering characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were not as prostrate in plant         habit as plants of the cultivar Sunbelki.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had smaller flowers than plants         of the cultivar Sunbelki.     -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flowered later than plants of         the cultivar Sunbelki.     -   4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the cultivar Sunbelki         differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Sunbelki         had light yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can also be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi-ken, Japan, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the male parent selection in the flowering characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more freely flowering than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the male parent selection         differed in flower coloration as plants of the male parent         selection had dark yellow-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the cultivar 01C-J-6, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/919,012, plants of the new Calibrachoa flower later and differ in flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘01C-J-4’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘01C-J-4’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in one-gallon containers were used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description. Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring in Santa Paula, Calif. in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Plants were about five months old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production period, day temperatures ranged from 16 to 29° C., night temperatures ranged from 4 to 13° C., and maximum light levels ranged from 3,000 to 6,000 footcandles.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. cultivar 01C-J-4. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Sunbelki,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,558.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number. 99-2-3, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 25° C.             Winter: About 8 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About three             weeks at 25° C. Winter: About four weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; semi-prostrate, low mounding             and outwardly spreading plant habit; dense and bushy             appearance.         -   Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About             25 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 34 cm.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to rapid; vigorous.         -   Branching habit.—Freely basal branching, about six to seven             basal branches per plant; lateral branches develop at             potentially every node; pinching is typically not required.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 45 cm. Diameter:             About 4.5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Orientation:             Initially upright, then nearly horizontal to trailing.             Texture: Pubescent; short, fine hairs. Strength: Strong, but             flexible. Color: 144B overlain with 187A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before             flowering; when flowering, opposite; simple. Length: About             2.7 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly             acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Slightly glandular and slightly pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Developing             foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 146A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 146B. Venation, upper surface: 146A. Venation,             lower surface: 146D. Petiole length: About 7 mm. Petiole             diameter: About 1.5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Flowers face upright or outwardly;             flowers solitary and axillary; salverform. Freely flowering             habit, about 24 to 30 flowers per lateral stem. Flowers             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous during this period.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about 45 days after             planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 3 cm by 3.2 cm. Depth: About             2.8 cm. Tube length: About 1.8 cm. Throat diameter: About             7 mm. Tube diameter, proximal: About 2.5 mm.         -   Flower buds (at stage of showing color).—Length: About             2.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Elongate. Color: 51A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five             petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 1.3 cm. Petal width: About 1.6 cm. Petal shape:             Fan-shaped to obovate. Petal apex: Rounded to obtuse. Petal             margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: Petal, when opening, upper             surface: 20C; speckling, 44C; venation, 173B. Petal, when             opening, lower surface: 71D; venation, 183D. Petal, fully             opened flower, upper surface: 20C; speckling, 44C to 44D;             venation, 173B. Main color becoming closer to 19B and             speckling, 39C, with development. Petal, fully opened             flower, lower surface: 63B; venation, 183D. Flower throat             (inside): 14A; venation, 174B. Flower tube (outside): 10B;             venation, 176A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width:             About 2.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded, upper             surface: 144A. Developing and fully expanded, lower surface:             146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Angle: About 45 to 60° from stem.             Texture: Finely pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.             Anther color: 11A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 12A.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1.2 cm. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 144A. Style             length: About 9 mm. Style color: 145C. Ovary color: 145A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa are     tolerant to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from 3 to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘01C-J-4’as illustrated and described. 